


Lovestruck Idioms (Idiots)

by jumpingjaxx13



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal, Meeting the Parents, Prompt Fill, Wedding Planning, ish, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 18:44:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10725039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jumpingjaxx13/pseuds/jumpingjaxx13
Summary: Prompt: Fluffy proposal/Wedding planning for Thrawn/Eli if you're still taking prompts?"...and I reckon... Maybe we should get hitched..?"





	Lovestruck Idioms (Idiots)

**Author's Note:**

> YES

“ _ I’ve been thinking. We’ve been together a while now, and with your new promotion and whatnot, I reckon…  Maybe we should get hitched? _ ”

The two of them had been lounging in the comfort of the Grand Admiral’s suite, basking in that sweet, rare moment of calm. Eli’s legs were slung over Thrawn’s lap, his head resting on the arm of the sofa as his lover used his shins to prop up his datapad. It was the little, quiet moments like these where words weren’t necessary- where he could just  _ watch _ and  _ admire _ the man he loved without the pressures of imperial propriety weighing down on them both. Here, they didn’t need to be the  _ Chiss _ grand admiral and the  _ backwater hick _ from Wild Space; they were simply Mitth’raw’nuruodo and Eli Vanto, two men in love and enjoying each other’s company. 

And it was beautiful- no, Thrawn was beautiful, composed of elegant angles and an aura of cool intelligence that he couldn’t help but resonate. While stoicism appeared to be his favored face, Eli had long since picked apart the microexpressions; a curve of the lips, a bow of the head, a shift of weight, a glint in his eyes, and infinitely more ways to read his true feelings. When he’d first pointed this out, Thrawn had been  _ so proud _ … 

Of course, he always preferred the  _ macroexpressions _ . When he smiled- when he  _ really  _ **_smiled_ ** \- his entire essence lit up, and Eli swore that the room grew warmer tenfold. He didn’t frown when sad- no, he deflated, his confidence and pride leaking out of him like air from a depressed balloon until he collapsed. These moments were saved for when they were alone and he could sink into Eli’s arms, where he knew he couldn’t be reprimanded for such a vulnerable display. Raw anger frightened him more than any blaster could, for the room shrank into darkness around him, those vibrant red eyes the menacing source of Thrawn’s unhinged passions. To this very day, Eli would insist that a truly angry Thrawn was the most dangerous beast he’d ever encountered, though he refused to tell the tale. But nothing endeared him quite as much as when he pondered something, his brow furrowed and his lips pouted into a little, concentrating dip, such as he had been when he let that fateful statement slip. 

Thrawn turned his head to look at Eli, a glaze of puzzlement on his face. “ _ Get hitched?” _

“You know… Tie the knot? Buy the bantha? Jump the blaster..?” Greeted by nothing but that same blank expression, Eli sighed, swinging his legs off from Thrawn’s lap and sitting up. His tongue swiped over dry lips as he tried to ignore the nervous skip in his heart. There was nothing to worry about. At the very least, he would suffer a moment of embarrassment and the pair would move on. Thrawn wasn’t the kind of person to hold a harmless social blunder over his head… was he? “Get married, Thrawn. I wanna know if you’d like to get married. To me.”

“Oh.” Thrawn blinked, regarding him for an eternity-ridden second before turning back to the puzzle on his datapad, cheeks taking on a faint purple hue. “I don’t see any reason to refuse. There would be no garish ceremony, of course, but I believe that I would… rather enjoy that.”

Despite himself, Eli gaped.  _ Was that… A blush? _ He didn’t even realize it was possible for him to blush like that, as if the necessary gene had been wiped from his DNA. His throbbing heart sped up tenfold, a beam brighter than a thousand suns stretching across his face. Shifting so he was propped on his knees, he rested his hand on Thrawn’s shoulder and pulled himself up to plant a chaste kiss on the tinted cheek. When the color darkened, a surge of affectionate pride swelled through him. “I think I’d enjoy that, too.”

Clearing his throat, Thrawn offered a slight smile, hardly greater than a twitch of the lips, but Eli knew better than to take it at face value. If  _ he _ was overwhelmed by this, then one could only imagine what the Chiss was thinking… Unable to bite back a bout of laughter, Eli rested his head on Thrawn’s shoulder and pulled him into a tight embrace, careful not to interrupt his puzzle. 

Later that night, when the full gravity of their arrangement finally pierced the haze of excitement, they made good work of leaving the mark of their engagement on one another for anyone to see.

* * *

Needless to say, there were only two types of reactions to their announcement; those of disgust and those of elation. They were much akin to how people behaved when the pair became an official partnership, but these.. These reactions were much more fervent. It appeared to Eli that being a human (even one from Wild Space)  _ dating _ a nonhuman was one thing, but  _ marrying _ one was another problem entirely. The wild differences between reactions gave Eli whiplash- tossed back and forth between Colonel Yularen’s enthusiastic congratulations and venomous criticism from the likes of Captain Slavin and Admiral Konstantine. One benefit of dating the Grand Admiral was that it made him virtually untouchable, but it definitely didn’t make him deaf. All things considered, he could let them talk- it wasn’t as if he was new to the xenophobic attitudes of the Empire, and the pair of them were just about as  _ xeno _ as they could be. His parents, however, were another story. 

To give them credit, they tried their damnedest to be polite. Regardless of the origin of the guest, it was Wild Space custom to be as gracious a host as imaginable, but when this alien guest was pledged to steal away your pride and joy..? The rules could bend. 

“So,” his mother started, staring intently at her son. She’d only spared his fiance a few quick glances, if only to remind herself that he was  _ still there _ . “How is this… How is this going to work? Are you taking his name? Is he taking ours?”

“He doesn’t have a surname. At least, not like we do,” Eli clarified, looking over at his fiance-  _ oh _ , how he  _ adored _ associating that term with Thrawn- and taking his hand. On his ring finger shone a simple band of gold to symbolize their engagement- easy, yet elegant, just like the man himself. “We just figured it’d be best to keep what we already got instead of complicating things between cultures and whatnot.”

The beginnings of a frown tugged on his mother’s lips, and Eli couldn’t help the little pang of guilt. Ever since he was little, she’d been anxiously awaiting her dashing son’s beautiful, traditional wedding. Now, not only was he marrying a nonhuman, but he was marrying a nonhuman whose language wouldn’t allow for a union of names. Not to mention that, as she would soon find out, the pair had no plans for a ceremony, either- as much as he wanted one, it would take far too much time away from Thrawn’s duties as Grand Admiral. 

As if sensing his distress, Thrawn gave his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. 

“W-Well, what of a wedding, then?” she prompted, sparing Thrawn a pointed glance that reeked on unjustified blame as if  _ he _ had  _ corrupted _ her boy. “I see the rings. When is the ceremony?”

Inwardly, Eli sighed, the protective walls he’d built up around his conscience beginning to weaken. He knew he wasn’t a disappointment- how could he be? He’d risen above his backwater upbringing to become a respected, ranking officer in the Imperial Navy and seen more miracles in the galaxy than he could count- hells, he was engaged to one! No, he wasn’t a  _ disappointment _ , but he couldn’t help but feel as if he was  _ disappointing _ . 

“Actually, we-”

“We haven’t decided on a venue yet.” Eli jumped, not bothering to hide his shock as he turned to his fiance. His expression was unreadable, hovering somewhere between intrigued and coy, making his stomach twist. Thrawn has  _ planned _ something. “Seeing as you are much more familiar with such things than I am, we thought it best to solicit your advice in selecting a time and place for the ceremony. If it’s not too much trouble, that is.”

For their parts, Eli and his mother were the human manifestation of dumbfoundedness, but for two hilariously different reasons. This was the first time in the entire meeting that she’d heard the Chiss man speak, save for a polite greeting. As for Eli, his awe originated more from the fact that he’d been explicitly told that such a trivial ceremony would only hurt them both- only give the bitter masses an excuse to claim that Thrawn was slacking off. Could this, perhaps, be a ploy to satisfy his mother? Or had Thrawn truly had a change of heart? Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as a surge of hope tinged his cheeks. He would definitely need to ask about that later.

“Is… Is that so..?” his mother chimed, her voice holding a caution she tried so valiantly not to physically express. Folding her hands in her lap, she regarded Thrawn fully for the first time, and Eli watched with complete amazement as her tight posture slowly began to relax- not enough to suggest that she was comfortable, but just eased enough to show the beginnings of acceptance. At the very least, she was finally making eye contact with him. 

“Well, then. If that’s the case, then you’d best come with me,” she insisted, rising to her feet and breaking away from that hypnotic red gaze to nod in another direction. “I’ve got plenty of holos from a whole bunch of places. I’m sure there’ll be a couple you could consider. You don’t need cold, do you? My husband and I hate the cold.”

A slight smile tugged on Thrawn’s lips as he let his hand slip from Eli’s grasp, rising to his feet with the intent to follow. “Neither is your son,” he mused, sparing his fiance a teasing glance. “I do not mind either way. I shall be comfortable regardless.” This, of course, was a grand lie, for as much as the senior Vantos disliked the cold, Thrawn was already feeling the effects of Lysatra’s grueling heat on his system. Hopefully, his cooperation would lead to the selection of a more  _ temperate _ climate that would easily satisfy them both. 

“Come now, Eli,” he said, holding his hand out in offering. “Unless you’d rather I make the call alone..?” The speed with which Eli took his hand and pulled himself to his feet said enough about his dissent in that matter.

* * *

 

“So… What made you decide to do that?”

Eli’s question broke the silence that had washed over them. The pair had long since returned to their suite on  _ Chimaera _ to settle in for the night. His legs swung lazily off the edge of the bed, inquisitive gaze following his  _ fiance-  _ the term still not having lost its heart-fluttering appeal- as he undressed. A white suit gave way to a soft, cotton undershirt that exposed his well-toned arms for Eli to admire. He liked seeing that strong, gentle blue almost as much as the sharp angles and professionalism of his military attire, and often found himself sitting to the side as Thrawn trained with his droids. Sure, it was a touch self-indulgent, but Thrawn definitely put on a marvellous show. 

Folding up his shirt alongside equally sharp, white trousers, red eyes glanced over at Eli from over his shoulder. “Decide on Naboo? You were there with us. It's an imperial territory renowned for its historical and aesthetic significance, and its climate is a satisfactory compromise between the needs of both parties. Not to mention the artwork that originates from there-” 

“-That's not what I mean,” Eli interrupted, feeling only slightly guilty about truncating Thrawn’s musings. Once the Chiss started his encomium of the arts, there remained very little which could stop his flow of passion, and, as much as Eli adored seeing that extra sparkle in his eyes, they had things to discuss. Shifting on the bed, he propped himself up on his knees and leaned on his hands. “You said we couldn't do a ceremony. I've been talking myself up from disappointment for  _ weeks _ because I didn't want to push something that you didn't wanna do, and then you pull  _ this _ ? I think someone owes me an explanation.”

“Ah.” Thrawn stilled, and Eli didn't need to see his face to know that his expression had contorted in thought. As if this was some sort of strategy that needed to have every nook and cranny cleaned out before implementation… Not bothering to hide his feelings on the matter, he sighed heavily and leaned more heavily on his hands, patiently awaiting the anticipated conclusion to this unnecessary brainstorm. 

“I hadn't realized that it would be this much of an issue to you,” Thrawn confessed eventually, turning to face his counterpart. “It is true that I originally had no intention of investing myself in a ceremony due to the rigor we both undergo. My commentary was meant to be a way in which to placate your mother- to find common ground and find a baseline from which she could learn to trust and accept me.”

Eli’s stomach bottomed out, the blood rushing from his face and leaving him rather pale as a shroud of disappointment washed over him. Typically warm eyes narrowed dangerously, a haze of red covering his vision as he regarded him. Teeth gritted, Eli spoke with overt caution so as not to lose his temper. 

“So… What you're sayin’.... is that you just  _ tricked _ my mother- tricked  _ me _ \- into believing that there will be a wedding that you never intended to follow through on..?” Despite his best efforts, he couldn't mask the wounded frustration in his voice. This, of course, did not go unnoticed by Thrawn judging by the way his eyes widened and his lips drew in a soft gasp. 

“No, of course not. I only said that I originally had no desire to participate. After conversing with your mother, actually viewing the potential settings, and seeing how excited you became, my perspective on the matter changed entirely,” he clarified, obviously perturbed by the venom Eli was subjecting him to. For the first time since they first got engaged, a hint of purple kissed his cheeks as he stepped toward the bed and brushed his fingers over Eli’s heated cheek. “I decided that to deprive you of something you were so obviously enchanted by would be cruel. Besides, I've found that I'm not completely abhorred by the idea of taking some time off to go to Naboo…”

Eli blinked, skin tingling in a traitorously pleasant manner where Thrawn’s hand lay on his cheek. “Hold on,” he stated, brow furrowing in confused concentration. “Don't get me wrong- I  _ really _ want this, but you deciding you think Naboo is ‘ _ aesthetically significant’  _ or a ‘ _ sufficient compromise _ ’ or that you like seeing me happy isn't gonna change the initial problem. Unless you tricked me about that, too.”

Frowning, Thrawn took a seat beside Eli and enveloped his hand in his own. If Eli didn't know any better, he would've sworn that Thrawn was…  _ ashamed _ , of all things. He followed that ruby gaze down to his hand, noticing that the Chiss had taken to admiring their matching rings rather than answer his question. Pursing his lips, Eli, shook his head. 

“You did, didn't you?” Thrawn’s lips parted with the intent to reply, only to find himself robbed of voice and instead simply continued to entertain himself with Eli’s hand. Eli would have needed to be insensitive not to feel how his grip tightened, as if desperate to hold on but unwilling to keep him against his will. “Thrawn.?”

“On Csilla, we go where we are meant to go,” he stated. “There's none of this superfluous celebration of union or necessary ceremony to attend. At most, there is a recognition between families of the legal partnership, but all this talk of love is typically kept between those closest to you. Needless to say, I was a touch…  _ surprised _ when this whole ordeal began to fan out. I fear I embarrassed you on more than one occasion because of my romantic ineptitude, and I certainly didn't want to implement it again in such a momentous occasion. It was never my intention to upset you.”

For the shortest eternity, Eli simply stared, searching his fiance’s form for any sign of falsehood. Finding none, a strange flutter of amusement rose in him, drawing a soft chuckle to his lips. “You mean that you, the great Grand Admiral Mitth’raw’nuruodo, fearless warrior and master tactician of the Empire, have been avoiding a fancy ceremony because you’re  _ insecure _ ..?”

At that, Thrawn stiffened. “Now, I wouldn’t say  _ insecure _ , exactly…”

“Krayt spit,” Eli interjected, though his tone was much lighter than the words typically implied. Twisting his hand so that his fingers intertwined with their cerulean counterparts, he laughed openly and shook his head. “You know, for such a brilliant man, you can be a plain imbecile sometimes. You could’ve just said something and it would’ve been fine- I’m the  _ last _ person who would judge you for nontraditional customs, you know?”

Finally, Thrawn looked up, and Eli was relieved to find that the inkling of shame that had been present just moments before had begun to dissipate into a familiar, confident contemplation, but not yet completely. “Yes. I realize now that I was being foolish.”

“Yes, you were,” Eli confirmed, knowing that such an affirmation would blow no bruise to Thrawn’s ego. Granted, he wasn’t about to stroke it, either. Shifting closer, he let their joined hands drop back down to the mattress and planted his free one on his lover’s hip. “Now, what was this about you being  _ romantically inept _ , hm?”

A flash of  _ something _ shone in Thrawn’s scarlet gaze that made Eli’s stomach twist pleasantly. “I believe that you intend to call  _ ‘krayt spit’ _ on that claim as well..?” he prompted, subconsciously leaning closer to the human. 

Eli smiled with a teasing wink. “Like I said. Brilliant.”

If there had been anything left to say, it got lost in the tides of time. Eli, having the advantage, closed the miniscule gap between them to join their lips together. Thrawn tasted like how he imagined the cold would- a blast of mint, a fragile sweetness, a frigid heat, a kiss from a gust of arctic wind. A larger hand laced through his hair, making him shiver as he was pulled impossibly closer, his body being maneuvered into straddling Thrawn’s thighs. The only warning the Chiss got that Eli had other plans was the impression of a devious smirk into the kiss before he was pushed down onto the mattress entirely, his lover collapsing atop him. Breaking the kiss, Eli rested his face in the crook of Thrawn’s neck, breathing in the essence of him. 

“I love you,” he muttered against his skin, arms slung over Thrawn’s chest and legs tangling into a complex knot. “Even if you  _ do _ drive me up the wall.”

Thrawn pursed his lips. “That one means that I frustrate you, yes?”

“You learn fast,” he praised, kissing the joint of his jaw affectionately.

Humming in satisfaction, Thrawn took the initiative to move the two of them further back onto the bed until his head hit the pillow, careful not to disturb the (quietly snickering) human that clung to him. Turning the lights off, he wrapped one arm around a narrow waist as the other took to carding soothingly through impossibly soft hair. He watched as Eli’s breathing slowed, his eyelids fluttering in a peaceful sleep and his body limp against his own. Smiling into the night, Thrawn planted a kiss on his fiance’s forehead before letting his own eyes fall victim to the allure of the dreaming night.

_ “Ch'ah ch'acah vah” _

**Author's Note:**

> *The Cheunh at the end means, as you probably guessed, 'I love you'
> 
> Make a request: https://jumpingjaxx13.tumblr.com/post/159472197834/prompt-me-baby-star-wars-edition   
> Leave a tip of appreciation: https://www.paypal.me/twixqueen


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